Get Outta Here! The Unexpected Benefits of Vacation

Do more with Dime.

The Go-Go’s had something with their seminal 1982 summer anthem. We dream about vacations; we spend hours and weeks planning and perfecting them. We find the perfect place, the perfect hotel, the perfect restaurants and excursions and spas. And then we finally get there…

And immediately start checking our phones for work emails and “important” messages you can’t not answer, right?

Taking vacations — real vacations — is essential to our mental and physical health. So while it might be tempting to just respond to those 9 emails that just came in “real quick,” here are 4 unexpected benefits of taking vacations and disconnecting from the world.

Heart Health

Don’t take our word for it — there are a whole bunch of studies out there that show the importance of vacations on your heart. Both men and women experience fewer heart-related illnesses (heart disease, heart attacks, etc.) when they at least 1-2 vacations every year.

So do your heart a favor and hop on a plane.

Mental Health

Whether you go to a bustling city or hide away in a remote cabin off the grid, getting away from your desk will help reset your brain. People who take regular vacations experience less depression and fewer negative thoughts and more positive thoughts. People who take long vacations, 2 or more weeks, feel less tense and happier and healthier than those who didn’t.

Less stress, more vacations.

Relationship Health

Studies have shown that people who take annual vacations are more likely to be happier in their relationships and be less tense, tired, or depressed. And you know how the saying goes: families that vacation together share a deeper bond, better communication, and experiential learning together.

Happy homes go on vacation.

Work Health

You want your boss to see you as a good worker? Get out of the office! Improve your productivity by getting away. Employees who have taken vacations see their performance ratings increase and their productivity level rise. When you’re happier, you’re more productive, and when you’re on vacation, you’re usually pretty happy, right?

Go on vacation, get a promotion, go on vacation again.

So there you have it. Four seriously amazing benefits of taking vacations. At this point, can you afford to not take a vacation?

Let’s grab that swimsuit (and pray it still fits), that book you’ve been meaning to read for the last two years, and put your phone on “Do Not Disturb.” Your vacation is calling.